Construction of instruments for measuring garments



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE,

HENRY C. BRUNDAGE, OF MIDDLETOW'N, NEW YORK.

CONSTRUCTION OF INSTRUMENTS FOR MEASURING GARMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 2,450, dated February 7, 1842.

To all whom 2f may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY C. BRUNDAGE, otl h/iddletown, in the county of@range and State ot' New York, have invented a new and improvedinstrument for measuring the body preparatory to the drafting and.cutting of coats or other garments; and do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact description thereof.

I vlenon'iii'iate this instrument the expanding and contractingrectangular tailors gage. The instrument is made intieXible, but withits parts sliding upon each other in such manner as that it may bereadily adapted to the size oi' the person to be measured; when used, itis sustained entirely by the Shoulders, not having or requiring anystandardby which it is connected with the ground.

A, A, in the accompanying drawing is a rod of brass, or other metal,which when the instrument is in use passes up and down the middle of theback, in the line ot the back seam of a coat.

B, B, is a cross piece having a socket through it, allowing A, A, toslide within it; the piece B, B, is to rest against the lower part ofthe back, or swell ot' the hips, and serves to steady the instrument;the piece B is held in place by means of a set screw.

C, C, and C, C, are bars of metal which cross the bar A, A, at rightangles; said bar A, A, having sockets D, D, attached to it, within whichthe bars C, C, may slide. The bars C, C, are connected together at theirends by the bars E E', forming with them a rectangular narallelogram.The bars E, E, are attached permanently at their angular junctions tothe bars C, C, but each of these bars is so constructed as to admit ofthe parallelogram which they constitute being regulated in itsdimensions, both of length and width. The arrangement for eii'iectingmay be varied. That shown in the drawing consists in halving the bars(d, C, and E, E', where they enter the sockets D, D, and E F, so as toform a lap joint, as shown at o, a, a, c., a similar joint being made onthe bar A, A.

G, G, are screw rods, tapped into E, E, and having swiveling heads atZ), and by turning these the parallelogram may be lengthened orshortened. The screws Hs H, will serve in like manner to adjust itswidth.

I, I, and J, J, are rods attached to, and

project-ing at right angles from, the tour corners ot the parallelogramC, E. These rods enter through openings in vertical bars K and L whichbars are capable of extending and contracting in the same manner with E,E, obeying with them the action of the screws H` H. The bars K and L,slide on the rods L and J, to which they may be attixed by set screws.There will thus be formed two rectangular spaces M, M, at the ends ofthe instrument.

W hen this instrument is applied to use the arms are to be passedthrough the spaces M, M, the rods I, I, resting on the shoulder, those JJ, being brought up close under the arm, and the bars K and L, beingplaced in contact with the fore parts of the arm, which is thus to beembraced lightly, but closely on four sides. The rods J, J, are at thesame time to be brought into contact with the sides of the person bymeans of the screws G, G. The respective bars rods and siides aregraduated into inches and parts of inches, so that the width of thebodyq and the dimension of the arm at its junction therewith togetherwith others to be designated, can be at once read and marked down.

To certain ot` the above described bars I attach slides, the rods ofwhich are graduated, and by which I am enabled to obtain the othermeasurements which it is the office of this instrument to furnish. Uponthe bar A, A, there are two such slides; one et' these is seen at N, andthis serves to give the distance from A, to the hollow of the back, towhich it is to be adjusted by means of its sliding socket 0. The secondslide P, measures the distance from the rod A, to the socket bone ot theneck the respect-ive vertical distances being shown on the bar A, A. Thebar L, is extended above and below the rods and J, to receive two otherslides Q. and B, the slide Q, serves to measure the dist-ance from L` tothe neck, just above the collar bone; and the slide R, the distance fromL, to the hollow of the side, just above the hip, at the point where thewaist is to terminate.

It will be seen by every competent cutter that the foregoing measuresare all that it is essential to take by means of the instrument, theordinary measuring tape unconnected with it, and employed in the usualway turnishing` whatever is further required. The numbers representingthe foregoing meas- What I claim therein as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

The manner in which I have combined the respective bars, rods, andslides, so that the four marked C, C, E and E', in the drawing, shallform a parallelogram, capable of adjustment in its dimensions by thesliding of the bars of Which it is composed, upon or Within each other,for the purpose set forth; there being combined therewith a bar or rodA, A, which When the instrument is in use, passes down opposite to themiddle of the back; and combining also there- With the rods I, J, andthe bars K and L, forming openings M, M', through Which the arms are topass, and to Which the bars and rods surrounding these openings are tobe adjusted, as set forth; and as constituting an essential part of saidmeasuring instrument. I claim the combining therewith of the slides N,P, Q, and It passing` at right angles to, and adjustable on, therespectable bars by which they are sustained.

I do not claim either of the parts, or devices herein described, takenindividually but limit my claim to the combination of the Wholesubstantially as set forth, so as to oonstitute an instrument which issustained by the shoulders of the person to be measured leaving him freeto move during its use, and not requiring the employmentof measuringtapes, attached to, or combined, with said instrument. Other slides in'addition to those herein designated may be used, if preferred, but thesewould not change its nature, nor do I, after fair trial, deem themnecessary or useful.

HENRY C. BRUNDAGE.

IVitnesses HENRY LITTLE, ELIJAI-I MCCREA.

